This week we announced our new limited edition Thrive Lemon Lavender tea. This caffeine-free, herbal loose leaf blend will be available through January and is limited to only 50 refill pouches. Additionally, 10% of sales will go to our Kenya Life Gardens project with Thrive.

The healing-powered ingredients that make up this blend are lavender, lemongrass, licorice root, and ginger. It was blended by our very own Tea Captain, Paul Bain, with the organic lemongrass coming from the same Women’s Tea Co-op in Kenya that we partner with for all of our herbal teas. We’ve broken down the health benefits of each ingredient for you below.

We don’t expect this tea to last much longer so order it now while stock lasts. 10% of your purchase will go to training members of our community in Kenya, as they learn sustainable organic farming techniques to improve the quality and quantity of their food. The greatest outcomes of this project are a projected 75% reduction in local malaria cases, higher quality food for tea farmers and their families, and enough surplus food to generate additional income.

Health Benefits of Lavender

Unsurprisingly, lavender has historically been used mainly for its scent. The Egyptians used it as a perfume and in mummification rituals; Medieval and Renaissance France used it to scent laundry; and the Romans used it in cooking and bathing.

Over time we’ve come to understand lavender’s effects on more than just the nose, and it can often be seen making an appearance in herbal alternatives to over-the-counter and prescription medication. Its main health-related uses include:

Countering insomnia

Natural pain remedy

Improving skin quality

Reducing blood pressure

Relief of asthma symptoms

Combat fungus growth

Promotes hair growth

Lessens the effects of menopause

As a tea, lavender has been found to be most helpful for reducing anxiety and improving sleep quality.

Health Benefits of Lemongrass

The lemon in this blend’s title actually comes from lemongrass. Similarly to lavender, lemongrass has a history of use in perfumes and other scent-based applications. From a health perspective, lemongrass is known for:

Relieving anxiety

Lowering cholesterol

Preventing infection

Boosting oral health

Relieving pain

Boosting red blood cell count

Relieving bloating

One of the main contemporary uses of herbal tea is relaxation and reduction of stress, and this lemon lavender blend is, as you’re probably gathering by now, an excellent option for that.

Health Benefits of Licorice Root

From a health perspective, licorice root is best known for combatting upper respiratory symptoms and benefiting the digestive tract. This includes:

Treatment of canker sores and ulcers

Reduction of effects of bronchitis

Relief from symptoms of bowel cancer

Soothing indigestion

Lessening the effects of menopause

While there’s no risk of this from the small amount used in our tea, it’s also fascinating to note that gross overconsumption of licorice can have a poisoning effect. The results of this are high blood pressure, swelling and sluggishness! On Halloween in 2017, the FDA published a statement that said: “Black licorice contains a sweetening compound called glycyrrhizin, which can cause a drop in potassium levels. The good news is that potassium levels return to normal after you stop eating copious amounts of black licorice.”

Health Benefits of Ginger

We’ll bet you’ve made yourself ginger and lemon tea on more than one occasion of having the flu in the past! Stating its potency as a health-giving food seems almost redundant today, but nevertheless, some of the health benefits of this delicious spice include:

Help with digestion

Relief of nausea

Relief cold and flu symptoms

Reduction of pain and inflammation

Improved cardiovascular health

So there you have it. As we take on the challenges of January weather (at least here in Canada!), cozy up with a mug of this limited-time herbal tea and we’ll contribute 10% of your sale to training our friends in Kenya to grow their own health-giving foods.

NB. These health statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.